Last night was very annoying, no doubt about that. We were the better team but didn't really create enough. Good to see Suarez back, but wish Kenny hadn't said what he did after - no problem with him defending his player, but maybe just let it lie now, yeah?
Anyway, this was our eighth home league draw of the season. Here are the gory details:
1-1 vs Sunderland
1-1 vs Man United
1-1 vs Norwich
0-0 vs Swansea
1-1 vs Man City
1-1 vs Blackburn
0-0 vs Stoke
0-0 vs Tottenham
What connects them all? Well, it's that we dominated them all, but found ourselves up against a team who parked the bus resolutely. Many teams have been criticised for this pragmatic approach, but it seems a shrewd move to come to Anfield and defend.
It seems that Spurs noticed this, hence their tactics last night. They know that we struggle to break down resolute defenses, and so it proved again. Is it really that easy - just come to Anfield, defend and, in the case of five of the home draws, nick a goal on the break? It seems so.
The moral of the story? We are shockingly one-dimensional for a team chasing Champions League football. We need another midfielder in the mould of Gerrard (I know, they're difficult to come by) who can cut open a resolute defense with a simple ball. Suarez will do the rest.
Either that, or we can just wait until Lucas, Gerrard and Suarez all play together. Then, I think, we'll cut teams apart, but until then, we're one dimensional and toothless. Sigh.
Player ratings from last night
Reina - 6 - Solid but had little to do. One save from Bale. Good distribution.
Johnson - 8 - MoM for me, outwitted Walker, proving why he's Capello's preference.
Agger - 6 - Did what he needed to.
Skrtel - 6 - See Agger. Untroubled for the majority of the game.
Kelly - 7 - Like him. Good at getting forward and defending, although he did misplace some passes, which is odd for him.
Gerrard - 7 - Some lovely passes and his usual persistence, but others weren't on his wavelength.
Spearing - 6 - Shot wide but was otherwise solid and unspectacular.
Adam - 6 - Better free-kicks but not good enough.
Bellamy - 5 - Not his best. A poor free-kick and bad control summed up his game.
Kuyt - 5 - Love the guy but his miscontrol can be frustrating, and last night was one such occasion.
Carroll - 6 - Better but still needs to improve.
Subs
Downing - 5 - Can't cross.
Suarez - 6 - Gave us another dimension but needs time after a month out.
Shrewd Spurs, toothless attack, ratings
posted on 7/2/12
VdV is the only quality player you were missing. The rest are bench players or squad quality.
Your back 4 + Keeper was the best you've got
Parker is the key to the centre of the park
Modric pulls the strings
Bale your best attacking player
Ade your starting striker
You can admittedly decry the lack of subs, but that wouldn't have made a difference for the first 70-80 minutes of bus parking.
It was a tactical decision based on the table, not some fictional Injury crisis. nothing else. And it worked as planned.
Again, well played.
posted on 7/2/12
redconn
In Harry's entire time at THFC, Lennon plays when fit, and Spurs play 442/4411.
Lennon is integral to our style of play and the preferred tactic and formation which is based on width and pace.
You are showing gross ingnorance if you think that players and formations and tactics are interchangable at the drop of a hat. Spurs have rarely played that formation before, and never with those players, so of course we were not be as fluid as normal. I accept that we had a more solid and defensive tactic yesterday but we were lacking three key attacking players, 2 of which would have played last night if fit, and the thrid is the back up.
Our only option to be more attacking was to play Saha and he's been at the club 2 minutes.
You call Spurs for parking the bus, you were the home team with 1 man up front, playing 451 and Kuyt and Bellamy not getting in the box and Adam and Spearing barely stepping into Spurs half. I suggest if LFC had started with Carroll and Suarez for an hour then you would have caused us 10 times more problems. Kenny was adamant that Suarez was fit, so he could have played, instead the home team played 451.
As for our fictional injury crisis, players like Sandro, Kaboul, Defoe, Lennon, VDV, Gallas have been key to our success this season. Without them our relatively small squad is weakened dramatically
posted on 7/2/12
>>Sandro, Kaboul, Defoe, Lennon, Gallas
squad fill
>>VDV
class
posted on 7/2/12
Spurs "squad fill" have scored more than Suarez + Carroll + Gerrard + Adam + Downing
Thats the difference between us now!
posted on 7/2/12
We need more creativity in the last third.
An attacking MF with vision and a striker with a proven stike rate:
1) MF = Christian Eriksen
2) ???? Which striker ?????
posted on 7/2/12
Why can no one else see how terribly ineffective Spearing is? Its like playing with ten players.
posted on 7/2/12
Spearing is not ineffective.
He's a highly accomplished ball winner and is a total pain in the Arsenal for other teams.
Mucks up a few passes, sure, but he's not and has never been cast as a playmaker.
Had a good game last night and, with a bit of luck, might even have scored.
If that shot had been a foot or so to the left he'd have been a hero.
posted on 7/2/12
Spearing had a good match in defence, a bad one passing forward.
I think he matched his misplaced passes total for the season last night.
It was an off day in that regard, not a pattern or reflecting a normal performance.
posted on 7/2/12
Spearing was more effective than Scot Parker going forward.
posted on 7/2/12
Little 'Scottie' Parker is some sections of press's precious little darling....he can do no wrong.
Ignoring the fact that he's anonymous for 95% of matches he turns up for and failed to hack it at bigger clubs.
MoM last night? The cat put in a more convincing performance.
Everyone knows that.